Rhea_S

Samaki's chocolates are truly terrific although I've only had the caramels.

Excellent blog so far! I'm really enjoying the party prep portions because I love cooking for big parties. Always a huge adrenaline rush.

My younger brother and his girlfriend just went to Cafe Pacifica this past Sunday and thought it was heaven on earth. He's normally very fussy about his food and difficult to please (except when it comes to fast food), but he raved about brunch. He even called our mom right after brunch to tell her how good it was. How often do guys do that? I thought he said that it was about $50 per person this month. (Just looked up the price online and it's $43)

My favourite was the brussel sprouts with bacon and hazelnuts. I diced then cooked the bacon, drained off most of the fat then tossed in the shredded brussel sprouts. Added chopped roasted hazelnuts at the end. Very simple but delicious. But then, everything is better with bacon, right?

Are the magic bags only available from the Toast-N-Serve website? I checked the site and couldn't find links to buying them elsewhere.

Everything sounds delicious, especially to someone who has to settle for saltines and Anna's ginger thins for snacks.

I make mine with salsiccia, kale, sage and dried cannelini beans. It's like that Olive Garden soup (zuppa toscana?) but hopefully much better.

This should be interesting (not that the rest haven't been). However, Nature Valley granola bars?! They export cardboard to Malaysia

I agree with Rickster that Mac's aren't good for pies, not on their own anyway. They do work well if mixed with a baking variety such as a Granny Smith like Elyse's mum's pies. I think the "best" apple pie recipe in Cook's Illustrated's "Best Recipes" uses a mixture. The pie I made last week was a mix of Jonathans and Idareds, both are baking apples. I did the RLB method of slicing thinly and macerating. This worked well, no excess liquid and good flavour, but I missed the rustic chunkiness from using apple wedges. I hope LadyT adds something. I don't know if she makes apple pies, but the other pies she's made that I've tasted have been among the best pies I've ever had.

Is the "fur" on your bun the shredded dried pork? I love that stuff on congee and on buns.

I get plastic bags because what would I use to clean up after my dogs during our walks? Before I had dogs, I brought my own cloth bags to the store and I didn't bother putting my produce in those awful little bags I can never open. That was fine in Vancouver, but you get a look of utter confusion and irritation when you do that in Springfield, IL where everything has to be in a "sack."

I started eating my lunch over an hour ago (10:30AM!). Almost two cups of steamed jasmine rice, chicken stirfry with red peppers, sichuan peppercorn truffle, hot lipton tea. I'm extraordinarily hungry today.

Thank you for the link Kristin! Excellent travelogue. The breakfast in the food photos made me hungry even though I started eating my lunch (steamed rice and stirfried chicken with red peppers) at 10:30AM. The Japanese certainly know how to package food attractively and the plastic models of food always amaze me with how real they look.

I have access to excellent apples and have tried every variety at the farmer's market, but I'm just not into crunchy fruit right now. They hurt my teeth; I probably need a visit to the dentist

Leftover port-glazed chicken livers and onions, steamed jasmine rice, sauteed broccoli, homemade english muffin with a piece of ham, two sichuan peppercorn truffles (Pierre Herme recipe)

What plum shape and colour because plums come in several shapes and colours? I'm guessing this unknown fruit is good since you had two? I love different fruit. Apples are so out except when cooked.

I've never tried freezing raw chestnuts, but I have roasted chestnuts, peeled and then frozen them. That works just fine if you are going to be using the chestnuts in cooked dishes. Or you can just buy the frozen, peeled ones at an Asian market.

SE Asian Sweet Potato Fritters - grated sweet potatoes, scallions, diced shrimp or fish, cilantro, a little flour, baking powder and fish sauce folded into beaten egg whites. Pan-fry or deep fry small patties and serve with a vinegar, garlic and black pepper dipping sauce or Nuoc Cham. I also like sweet potato and leek gratins.

I finally finished reading your blog and it's been fun although you really don't eat very much even if one adds up all your mini-meals. Reminds me of my UBC days (Bio '95). I doubt things have changed all that much at the UBC libraries: the Main Stacks are scary, Sedgewick is for sleeping, serious studying is over at the IRC with all the med, dent, pharmacy and pre-med/dent students. There's other libraries, but it's about a mile walk from parking to any of them and it's hard when you have a bag overflowing with books.

I caught last night's episode and all I really remember from the show was some naked guy on the floor and the food at the Lord of the Rings children's birthday party, specifically the green mac and cheese (green due to jalapeno) and the rum-raisin tiered birthday cake decorated with fresh fruit. Even a ditz like Chef Sookie should know kids rarely eat jalapenos or raisins. Other menu items: hummus, fresh veggies with lemon aioli, gravlax, charcuterie. Food looks great, but I can do without all the whining on that show.

Poorly worded sentence on my part. I, unfortunately, only went to Vancouver for my so-called vacation. No meals worth mentioning. My only real food trek was to Sen5es bakery/pastry shop and was very disappointed. The chocolates (box of 18, tiny and expensive) were stale and the stilton cheesecake with rhubarb sauce was a bit bland (Ronnie's cheesecake from the paella party was MUCH better).

I can't make it to Grand Rapids. I just came back from vacation and another person in my department just went to Singapore on vacation, so I'm swamped with work. I've been home almost a week and I have yet to unpack!

Dog hair. Clean pots, pans and dishes waiting to be put away. I usually have a pile of dirty dishes, but some mice just moved in this past week. The mice always seem to appear around this time of year; they disappear soon after realizing there's no food for them. Embarrassing food items include leftovers in the fridge waiting for next Tuesday's trash pickup along with expired dairy items and dried up veggies. 2-year old tasso in the freezer. Brown bananas in the freezer (not even in freezer bags, just whole in their peels). Nesvita instant cereal. Freezer-burned Haagen-Dazs Pistachio ice cream. Chunk light tuna that I bought for the dogs, but even they won't eat that crap.

Can we all crash this party instead? ;) I don't think I've posted about whether I'm attending or not. Everything sounds fun and I want to go, but I won't know until late September. Finances are a bit tight due to a trip home to Vancouver and a retirement/birthday party for my dad.

Not sure at all. Source was my mother's friend who vetoed Sun Sui Wah. I don't live in Vancouver anymore, so I have no idea. I have to rely on eGulleters and friends in Vancouver for information, reliable or otherwise. That's why I asked my question here.